Plucking Dandelions
by The Crescent Child
Summary: Olivia Moonwest decided on a fresh start and went head-first into the town of Skyville. Although... it's a little weird. Things seem a bit... off. The longer she stayed, the more suspicious things became, as unidentified shadows from the past begin to chase after her. At the moment, it's gonna be K however it will most likely change to T due to language. :3 THIS SUMMARY IS LONG.
1. A New Beginning

**Plucking Dandelions****: Prologue**

**Yuki: Hey guys! This is my first fanfic! Of course, I had to do Animal Crossing first. c: **

**Kiki: Yuki-chan does not own Animal Crossing or any of the characters to come except for Olivia Moonwest!**

**Yuki: Yes…thanks Kiki-san. So, with that, let's begin!**

It was pouring down with rain as I sat there on the bus, staring at the ground tediously. It was like the sky was screaming with pain and anguish; every single drop of it that hit the ground seemed to reverberate that screaming. Every single ounce of hope in my body that my first day in Skyville was going to be vivid and bright had drained away. I was shy; everyone in my old town, Caliburestie knew it too, as a result, I tried not to speak to the driver, Kapp'n **(A/N: Is that spelt correctly? Please tell me if it isn't. ;^;), **but he started up a conversation with me anyway when he realised how droning the atmosphere on-board was.

"So, Miss Olivia…will ye need a hand gettin' yer stuff out the bus?" Kapp'n asked, turning his head.

"Of course not," I replied hastily, "I-I can handle it all myself."

"_All _of it, Ma'am?" Kapp'n asked, blinking in shock.

"Yes!" I retorted sharply.

"Well, if ya say so…" Kapp'n sighed as we entered a dark tunnel.

Quiet set down amongst Kapp'n and I for the next few minutes. All I could hear was the bus engine and the dripping of the water that clung to the tunnel roof. It felt pretty awkward, but then the weird bus driver spoke up again, "Oh, ya! I almost fergot! Which town are ya goin' to?"

"Skyville. I already told you that, Kapp'n." I answered, slightly giggling.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I've got coral growin' in me ears." He joked.

Again, I sat in silence for a few more minutes but the air didn't feel quite as tense as before. As he drove out of tunnel, I shrieked with shock. It had stopped raining and the sky was a beautiful cerulean blue; clouds scattered across it. It was like something you'd see in a painting, but it was **real.**

"Missy, how do ya like it? Skyville sure is a beautiful place! If I got the chance, I'd pack me bags 'n' come 'ere!" Kapp'n remarked.

"This place…I'm speechless." I breathed, slowly taking in the surrounding environment as the bus parked by the bus stop.

"Well, anyways, here we are! Skyville, yer fair 'n' blessed kingdom! I'll be seein' ya 'round, anyway," Kapp'n announced, "Ya still sure ya don't want any help with those suitcases?"

"No, I'm fine, seriously!" I laughed as I picked up my heavy plum suitcase and the other white suitcase, slightly lighter than the other.

"Careful ya don't trip!" Kapp'n called as I rushed out of the bus and into the sun. Ignoring his call, I tripped over a rock and fell over, my suitcases tumbling to the ground around me. I couldn't help but laugh hysterically.

"Bye, Kapp'n-san!" I yelled as the bus slowly drove into the tunnel opposite the one we came out of.

So, my name is Olivia Moonwest, and I've moved to the sleepy but tranquil town of Skyville. I wanted to start a fresh page in my life and this was a great place to start. Smiling merrily, I skipped poorly (this was a result of the suitcases) over to the town hall.

**Yuki: Whew! Prologue over now, but I will update soon! If you enjoyed, please review! I'd love to hear your opinions and what you think. Also, tell me the spelling for Kapp'n if the way I spelt it is incorrect! :D **

**Sorry if it's slightly short. D:**


	2. New Friend, New House

**Plucking Dandelions: Chapter 1**

**Yuki: ****Here's Chapter 1! You may notice that I update quickly. Well, I'm still on summer break, so I won't be going to school again 'til the 2****nd**** of September. So, please enjoy!**

**Chief: Yuki doesn't own Animal Crossing or any of the characters except for Olivia.**

**Yuki: I was gonna do that part. Anyway, if you wanna see a fail picture of Olivia, ****please go to my profile and look for the link. c: **

Slowly, I stumbled into the Town Hall clumsily. If anyone was watching, I would've looked like a complete moron. Well, lucky me, there _was _someone watching. I'd already gotten used to the fact that Skyville was inhabited by talking animals, so the fact the pelican at the counter talked didn't surprise me.

"Good morning, Miss." She grinned as I heatedly dragged my bag across the wood panels.

"H-hello…" I breathed, gasping for air.

"You're Olivia, aren't you?" the pelican asked, giggling at me. For some reason it didn't bother me as much as I thought it did. I usually _hated _getting laughed at. In Caliburestaea, the boys in my school always used to tease me for being "somewhat ugly". It pissed me off so much.

"Yes. You are…?" I asked, dusting down my dress.

"Just call me Pelly," Pelly smiled, giving me a little wink, "You ordered a house here, didn't you? Yes, Tom Nook built that, all by himself!"

"Who's Tom Nook?" I asked.

"He is the owner of the main and only shop in Skyville: Tanuki Goods **(A/N: I prefer to call it the Japanese name than Nook's Cranny :/)**. He also builds and remodels existing houses. Hence why he built your house." Pelly explained.

"Wow, he sounds like a busy guy," I remarked, "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot. Whereabouts _is_ my house?" I asked.

Pelly smiled and left the counter to search through one of the bookshelves lining against the walls. After a minute of sweat-dropping and anxious cries, she pulled out a map and handed it to me.

"It's just near the beach _there_," Pelly told me, pointing it out on the blue and green print, "You shouldn't have trouble finding it. It's the only house with a red roof in this town."

"Okay, sure," I beamed, rolling the map up and tucking it under one arm, "See you later, Pelly-san!" I called, picking up my suitcases and running out of the door.

"Wait!" Pelly yelled.

I skidded to a halt abruptly and turned round to see a short, old turtle slowly walking towards me, assisted by his walking stick. When he stood in front of me, he re-positioned his glasses upon his nose and croaked, "Tell, me, young lady, who do you think is the _best _out of these four people? 1: The mayor. 2: The mayor. 3: The mayor, or, 4: the mayor."

I sweat-dropped slightly, _the answers are all the same thing, _I anxiously thought, _it wouldn't be a newsflash if this guy is the mayor. _

"I think the mayor." I smiled, exchanging a 'What-The-Heck-Is-Wrong-With-This-Guy?' glance with Pelly.

"Y-you really think so?" the mayor gasped, blushing, "Yes, you are wise for one so young. I go by the name of Tortimer, sprout. On holidays and celebrations, such as the Fishing Tourney or the Acorn Festi-um, the, er, Fireworks Show, I'll be out there, in the plaza." Tortimer explained, pointing a green and bony finger outside.

"Uh, that's, um, great, Tortimer," I smiled, desperate to get to my house, "So, I'll be seeing you!"

"Wait, sprout! I haven't finished yet!" Tortimer called, but I ignored him. I was desperate to find and look inside my house and meet all the other residents.

"Woah." I gasped, dropping my suitcases. The house in front of me was _huge. _It was sunset by the time I had arrived; it looked like the roof was ablaze, the way the sun was blazing down on it.

"I'm home! I'm home! I'm home! I'm home!" I sung gleefully, skipping about like a lunatic.

Picking my suitcases up again, I added, "I should go inside and look around."

"What? You call this a _house?_" I shrieked, my mouth gaping in disbelief when I was inside. The place was bare. Everywhere. Tom Nook expected me to _live _here?

"Of course it's a house," A sweet voice answered, "But you need to fill it up with furniture bought from Tanuki Goods!"

I turned around to see a black cat at the door, leaning against the door, "I'm Kiki." Kiki meowed.

"Oh, hi!" I smiled awkwardly, giving Kiki a friendly little wave, "I'm new here, so, I didn't know…"

"Well, that's fine," Kiki replied. Glancing round nervously, she asked, "Do you mind if I came in?"

"Huh? Oh, not at all!"

Slowly, the black cat stepped in. A superstition I knew very well was that if you crossed paths with a black cat, you'd get very bad luck. But something told me that Kiki was nowhere _near _unlucky.

"Wow, this place is huge," Kiki gasped, looking round, "You're lucky to have a house like this. Mine is half the size of this place."

"What, really?" I replied, turning to her.

"Four people could live in this place. My house only has room for one person." Kiki explained.

"Gee, that must suck. Do you at least have room to move around in?"

"Of course."

"Where is your house?" I asked, taking my map out.

"It's there. Just north of here." Kiki replied, pointing it out.

"Have you been stalking me all the way here?"

"No, Olivia, I haven't!"

"You _have_! How come you magically know my name then?" I laughed.

"Uh, well, um, I was passing by the Town Hall, and, I saw you with Pelly, and, I, um…"

"Eavesdropped." I sighed, folding my arms.

"No!" Kiki retorted.

_She was stalking me, _I thought smugly, _she just won't admit it._

"Well, it's nice to meet you. You told me I had to fill this place up with furniture from Tanuki Goods, right?"

"Yes," Kiki replied, "Our currency is probably different from your old towns' currency. We use Bells. Earning Bells in Skyville is a piece of apple. Or cake. Whatever. But anyway, you can catch fish and bugs and sell them to Tom Nook and he'll give you a pretty reasonable price for them. If you dig up fossils, you can also sell them for lots of money. But if you ever find a fossil, I'd go show it to Blathers at the museum."

"Blathers?"

"He's the museums' caretaker. His younger sister, Celeste, works at the observatory there. She often lets you look through the telescope and look at the stars at night."

"Wow, really? I ought to try that sometime," I gasped, "I love sitting on a damp patch of grass and staring up at the starry sky. Have you ever tried it?"

"No. I'd like to, though. It sounds fun." Kiki remarked.

"I may as well unpack." I mumbled to myself, opening my white suitcase. I pulled out a few dresses and such. Pulling out a blue check shirt, I stared at it for a moment.

"Kiki-san, I want you to have this." I said, giving it to her.

"R-really?" Kiki asked, gasping in shock.

"Of course," I smiled, "We're friends now, right? That's what friends do."

"Well, yes. Thank you!" Kiki said, a grin spreading from ear to ear on her face.

"Your welcome." I replied.

After I had unpacked a bit, Kiki offered me to go fishing at the river with her and a friend. She didn't say who; but it was obvious she wanted me to become more familiar with the residents of Skyville. Of course, I had to accept. I suppose it'll help me get used to my surroundings and such. I can't help hoping she or he is just as friendly as Kiki.

So, Diary, oh, actually, I'll call you Journal, because Diary sounds girly. Anyway, Journal, I'll make sure to keep you up to date with what's happening in my life in Skyville!


	3. Neighbours

**Plucking Dandelions**

**Yuki: Oh my mind. I've not updated for ages, although…this is due to a few issues out of my control. *cough* SCHOOL *cough* HOMEWORK *cough* **

**Drake: You okay? You're coughing a lot. *approaches with Buttercup Syrup***

**Yuki: AGH! DON'T GIVE ME THAT CRAP! I'M FINE! *runs away***

**Drake: Now I can read out the owns and don't owns! Yuki doesn't own Animal Crossing or the characters, except for Olivia-san, of course.**

**Yuki: You sneaky thing, reading out my part. :U I'll punch you for that. *clicks knuckles***

**Drake: O.O *edges away slowly***

**Yuki: AAAAAANYWAY…*smiles brightly* hope you like this chapter! :D **

**Now…where was I…? Drake? *gets out hammer***

**Drake: HOLY CHEESE-**

**June 9th**

It's already been a week ever since I've moved into the serene town of Skyville, hidden away in the mountains. At first, I thought that I would relax and have the time of my life in my new town…however…something appears to have prevented any of that happening so far.

Courtesy of a certain raccoon.

**And now, my dear readers, it's time for a flashback. Yeah, I know, they suck, but it's gotta be done.**

**June 2nd **

"Hm…it's around here somewhere…" I mumbled, glancing around.

I was clutching a map of Skyville tightly. I just wandered off into Skyville randomly, trying to look for Tanuki Goods. The owner, Tom Nook, should've opened the shop by now.

It was exactly at that moment that I wondered why the hell I'd look for a shop at 8:00 in the morning.

Ignoring my bizarre noggin-

Hey, what kind of a word is that, anyway?

**Don't you dare start breaking the fourth wall. **

*sigh* Fine…

Anyway, according to the author of this fanfic, I have to ignore that weird term and carry on, otherwise this is cancelled forever. And this thing has only just started.

As a result of my stupid thoughts, I'd got lost BECAUSE of the map. Aren't those things supposed to guide you? Hm. Whatever. The point I'm trying to make is that I'm clearly more stupid than I think I am because when I mentally declared that I was lost I realised that Tanuki Goods was right in front of me. Now I wonder if I have a brain.

Nervously, I made my way over to the door and opened it slowly, expecting to be greeted warmly. Of course, this town is too eccentric to have warm welcomes. I found out that instead you get introduced with a work apron.

"**E to**…what are you doing?" I asked, sweatdropping as the raccoon handed me a green apron, folded up neatly.

"Take it." He said, offering it to me.

"**Iie**…okay…but, what do you want me to do with it? And also…are you Tom Nook**-san**?" I asked, baffled as I unfolded it and stared intently at it.

"Well, isn't taking on a part-time delivery job one of the best ways to get to know your fellow townsfolk?" he remarked, smiling.

Uh…I can think of better ways, but, whatever floats his boat, I guess…

"Hang on," I interrupted, "I don't get this. You've just given me an apron out of the blue and suggested that I'm going to go round town doing a delivery job. Explain."

"Okay, well, let's start off by answering your previous question. Yes, I'm Tom Nook, the owner of this shop and landlord of your house. You've settled into it nicely, no?" Tom Nook asked, folding his arms.

"Uh, I guess…"

Wow, I never knew I was so good at lying.

"Great! There does appear to be a…lack of furniture in your house currently, though. You could fix that by…"

'Lack'? Well, I now know who has won Understatement of the Century.

"…coming to my shop regularly. New stock arrives each day. Going back to the delivery work…well, I thought it would be good to get to know your fellow neighbours via delivery work, plus you may just receive something in return as a token of gratitude. Two birds with one stone, no?"

I shrugged. Quite frankly, I wasn't even listening.

"Good! Good! You understand, I see. Well, this part-time job…should last for about three days. Is that okay?"

I never actually knew three could be such a harsh number. He was just telling me all of a sudden that I have to be the town's mailman for three days, **straight.** What fun.

"Sure." I lied, putting on my indifferent poker face.

"Brilliant. In that case…let's get you started." He beamed.

Yeah. Brilliant.

The bike was set up outside the shop with all of the packages loaded up in the back. There were about four or five of them, each a normal size. And I'm not being sarcastic, believe it or not.

"You should be able to get all of these done in no time. The amount you'll be delivering each day will be similar to this. It shouldn't be too laborious, I should think. Here," Tom Nook explained, pacing over to me with a piece of paper in his hands…or…paws, "A delivery list. What they are and who they're for, that's what it says. Don't lose it. It's important."

Yeah, I'm not positive how a piece of paper that looks like it's been torn out of a notepad could be so damn precious, but, whatever.

Shrugging off all of the other stuff he was repeating to me for the third time, I got on the bike and pushed down on the pedals, testing it out. To my horror, they wouldn't move at all; they were like stone.

"These pedals…aren't moving!" I exclaimed as I furiously slammed my feet down.

"Oh, they will eventually. It's just because of the weight of the packages, that's all. In that case, I'll see you later!"

And of course, he just left without saying another word.

I groaned and clutched the handles tightly, causing grooves to form in my hands, "Tom Nook, I'm currently out of words to describe you, but I can think of one." I murmured, half to myself.

"**Baka**."

**Green Lava Lamp**

**Punchy**

"Punchy," I read out loud as I pedalled angrily uphill, "Interesting name. I bet it's one of those names you get given for no reason. Hm. A green lava lamp, eh? I'd like one of tho-HOLY COW!"

Now, kids, it's time for a lesson. Don't read whilst cycling uphill on a bicycle with stiff pedals carrying five packages in the back. Not the smartest thing to do, 'kay? Even if the note you're reading is from an annoying racoon reminding you not to cycle uphill on a bicycle with stiff pedals carrying five packages or more in the back. Yes. That's actually what he put on the bottom of the list. That raccoon is amusing.

Slowly, I opened my navy eyes, the sun beating down on me. That time of year had arrived again, alright. Beads of sweat forming on my forehead, I released an infuriated groan from my lungs and sat myself upright.

I was stunned to see another person standing in front of me, looking down at me in shock. _A cat, _I remarked silently. The harsh sunlight was blurring my view of him or her, but I could tell that it wasn't Kiki-san immediately.

"You okay?" he asked, the voice confirming that it was a guy, "You trip or something, mrmpht?"

"Mmm. Just me being reckless, is all." I sighed, sheltering my eyes from the sun so I could take a good look at him.

He was a cat with bright yellow eyes that were half-open. The lower half of his face was white and his paws, feet and tail tip were white. The rest of him was black. He was wearing some sort of grey check print or something.

"Guess you were doing delivery work for that raccoon, then, mrmpht." He said. It was more of a statement that a question.

"Yep." I groaned, standing myself up. I dusted my apron down and bowed, "Sorry if I'm in the way or anything. I'll only be a sec."

Annoyed with myself for being so inattentive, I stood the bike up, put the packages scattering all over the ground in the back and wiped the sweat off of my forehead.

"Hopefully none of those packages will be damaged," I remarked, breathing and sweating heavily as the sunlight got more intense, "Gotta deliver this one to Punchy first…"

I was about to get back on until the cat stopped me, "Wait, Punchy? You're looking for him, mrmpht?"

"Yeah. He lives just up this hill, right?"

"Well, yeah. The point I'm trying to get across is that _I'm_ Punchy."

It took a few seconds for that to register fully in my brain before the clock in my head started ticking again.

"Oh! I see. Yosh, yosh. Gomen. I was having one of my…uh, 'dippy' moments there." I laughed awkwardly, getting off my bike.

Punchy gave me a half-amused, half-confused look. He didn't seem to be annoyed by one of my dippy moments, so that's a relief.

I searched for the correct package and lifted it up, "Since your house is just up here, shall I carry it?"

"Oh. Okay, if you want to," Punchy shrugged, "I don't want to, y'know, cause you trouble or anything."

"Oh, no, it's fine!" I insisted, smiling widely.

This guy wasn't too bad at all. I like him.

…

And let me just make something clear before any of you crazy shipping fangirls go mad: I don't like him in _that_ way. End of. Make a PunchyXOlivia fanfic and I'll hunt you down and kill your family. It's sadistic, but I'll do it.

I slowly made my way up with Punchy, my legs crumbling as if they would collapse at any minute, but I was determined not to be so reckless this time. The weight of the lava lamp was making my arms tremble, but despite my looks I can handle a lot more without giving up.

"Ah, that ol' guy was saying that I could kill two birds with one stone by doing this delivery job. Y'know, I could 'get to know' my neighbours better." I explained as we paced up the street to his house.

"Typical of him to do that, really." Punchy remarked.

When we arrived at the gates, he offered to take it from me, "Thanks," he smiled, "I'll take it from here. You've been a real help…sorry, what was your name?"

"Olivia. O-L-I-V-I-A." I repeated, slightly amused.

"Yep. Thanks, Olivia-san. Don't be so reckless next time!" he called as he made his way to his house.

I watched him until the sight of his white-tipped tail disappeared into the doorway.

_You've got yourself an interesting looking bunch of neighbours, Olivia, _I thought to myself as I made my way down the hill.

I slowly approached the door of the next customer's house. I don't know why, since this package was lighter than the last one. A _lot_ more lighter, actually. What's in it, a pin?

Swallowing hard, I knocked on the door and looked at the list, "Purrl-san! Purrl-san! You have a delivery!"

The house was silent for a few heartbeats until the sound of frantic footsteps could be heard. Presumably, this 'Purrl' was either desperate for the package or Purrl had fallen down the stairs.

The door swung open, revealing yet _another_ cat who'd had curlers in her fur.

…

Wait, in her _fur_? Is that even possible?

She squealed in delight and cannoned forward, snatching the box from me, "It's here!"

Right. So, she had curlers in her fur and she was excited to get the package. She was probably in the middle of fiddling with her hair or whatever. Somehow my second guess seems more plausible.

"Um, **ano**, I'm Olivia. I recently moved here-"

Purrl ignored me as she ripped open the package, two ribbons materializing out of the fawn wrapping.

Well, that explains the weight.

"**Sugoi**~! I'll look really great in these for Maple's birthday bash, kitten~!" she exclaimed, holding the red and blue ribbons near her head.

"E to…I'm Olivia Moonwest. I started working for-"

Yep, she still wasn't listening. Last time I checked, I wasn't invisible, so she's just being ignorant, I guess.

She turned to me after her little happy moment, "You're new, I see, kitten."

"Yeah." I replied, sweatdropping.

She put the ribbons on the regal dresser to the side of her and paced over to me, inspecting the mint green apron I was wearing.

"E to…" I stammered.

"Tom Nook has such a disgraceful taste in fashion," she remarked finally, "I feel sorry for you, kitten."

I sighed, "I don't really care about the apron. It's not really meant to make you look good or anything. I'm just annoyed at all of the deliveries he's making me do…"

"That's unfortunate," she commented, putting her paws on her hips, "Making a fine lady like yourself do such arduous chores. He ought to be ashamed of himself."

"Mmm." I reluctantly agreed, scratching my head.

"Hey, since you're new, you probably won't know about this, but there is a resident called Maple whose birthday is on June 15th, kitten. She is going to be inviting only a few friends but you may be allowed to come. You know, so you can get to know each other, kitten. Oh, wait, since you're doing deliveries, you might get to meet her." Purrl explained, snatching the list away, a few claw marks forming on the paper.

"Oh, that's a shame. You're delivering to me, Punchy, Drake, Opal and Wolfgang. She's not on the list, kitten," she read out, handing me the list back, "Perhaps you may bump into her at some point, kitten."

"I guess. It would be nice to go." I admitted.

She pointed at me, "Try and look for her and ask, kitten. I'm sure she'll let you go; she's really nice."

"I will, Purrl-san." I smiled.

"Oh, yes, what might your name be?" she asked.

Yeah. She was definitely being ignorant earlier.

"Olivia Moonwest. I recently moved here." I repeated for the third time.

"In that case, it's nice to meet you, kitten." Purrl meowed.

I'd delivered the last three things to Drake, Opal and Wolfgang by the end of the day. Drake-san had a similar attitude to Punchy; he was laidback, carefree and quite lazy, but quite frankly, I didn't really mind. Opal was fairly snooty and snobbish, but at the same time was quite a refined lady, similar to Purrl. And Wolfgang? Well, he was completely different. He grumbled quite a fair bit, which I found absolutely charming. He didn't seem to be too much of a miserable old grouch, but he snapped at me quite a fair bit. Actually, that 'conversation' I'd had with him disturbed me somewhat, so I'm not going to go on any further. You don't need to know what happened. For the sake of your mental health, you don't need to know.

Don't get any ideas, either. He wasn't some old paedophiliac guy or anything, so you can exhale now. If he was, I'd be out of this town by now. Seriously. I'm not very comfortable with…guys like him. But who really is? And he wasn't a paedo. Oh, yeah. I said that. Whoops. Sorry. Did I mention he wasn't a paedo?

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Oh, well. I suppose I'll get to know him a little better. And the other residents, of course. When I've finished slaving away for Tom Nook. I'll get a hold of Maple too. This birthday party she's holding could also be a reason for _me_ to celebrate. Celebrate the end of my job as a slave for Nook. Perhaps there are a few quirks in Skyville, but nothing or nobody's perfect, right?

**Author: YAY! I got round to finishing a chapter! :3**

**Agent S: Yuki will probably update quicker when she's moved into her new house in a few weeks or so. :D **

**Author: Yep. I'll have my full internet connection back! Oh, _yay~!_ *claps***

**Agent S: You really like yay-ing, don't you?**

**Author: Uh-huh! Let's all YAY for YAY-ING! YAY~!**

**Agent S: ._. *edges away slowly***

**Author: WHAT? DON'T LEAVE ME! Ah…fine, be like that.**

**Cube: Will I be in the next chapter?**

**Author: No. C:**

**Cube: :O B-But…but…*cries***

**Author: Yup. I'll update this soon enough. I am busy with two other fanfics, so be patient. :3**

**Cube: WHY DOES NO ONE LOVE ME? :c Send me in some love, please? **

**Author: I'll get rid of any comments praising Cube.**

**Cube: EVIL! *cries***


	4. Crushes and Maple Colours

**It's happened! I've finallyyyyy updated! :D I am trying to juggle work on another fanfic and a fanfic I'm sharing with another author, but I'll try to work as fast as I can. School's coming up again and I'm feeling pretty sick at the moment. Not some cough thing, again, Drake, so you can shut your mouth.**

**Drake: Aw. D:**

**It's probably that norovirus thing. Oh well. Time to read this chapter!**

**Jitters: Yuki owns nothing in this fanfic except her OC, Olivia Moonwest.**

**Cube: Send in love for me?**

**Nope. Sorry, Cube. Olivia's the star of the show. You're outta the friggin' picture.**

**Cube: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooo! –waddles off to a corner of depression-**

**Carmen: Am I gonna be in this sometime soon? :3**

**:l Yes. You will. Anyway, hope you like reading! :D**

**Chapter 3**

**June 14****th**

I was sat in my kitchen, resting my arms on the pine table as I blankly stared out of the window, rain clouding up my view of outside and the window pane. A red stereo was positioned on the other side of table, gently humming some song by P!nk. _Try, _I think it was called. It was okay, I suppose. Not really my sort of genre of music I listen to. I generally listen to more dance music 'n' stuff, but…they don't really play that kinda stuff on the radio. Yes, I had finally finished dragging my backside all around town (probably) just for Nook's amusement. I finished my part-time job, thank my lucky stars! It was just…well, lemme break it down in three words for you. _**BORING, POINTLESS AND TORTURE. **_The only good that came out of it is that I got to know my fellow neighbours better, but I could easily do that in my spare time anyway. I mean, I'm actually quite a warm and sociable person (a very sarcastic and occasionally cynical person at that).

Since I'd finished my slavery, I managed to bag quite a reasonable amount of furniture to fill up my practically slate blank house. That's one thing that sucked about it. It was a ridiculously huge house, but Tom Nook thought that it was okay to leave it with _nothing _in it, except a thick layer of dust covering the floor. And a bed in the attic. And the mortgage for it was just a joke. _180,000 _Bells. When he told me that was how much I still needed to pay, I thought he was having a laugh. Literally. But he was serious.

_**FLASHBACKFLASHBACKFLASHBACKF LASHBACKFLASHBACKFLASHBACK**_

_Sighing in stress and almost relief, I hoisted my bottle green apron up over my shoulders and through my hair, a few strands of cerise hair jutting out of place. I folded it up and passed it to Nook. I pulled my hair out of its ponytail and shook my hair out, curls of candyfloss surging down past my chest. "So, tell me," I began, "how much of that loan do I have?"_

_Nook looked up from the cash register at his counter, probably counting away millions of Bells, and blinked in confusion at me for a second or two as if he was wondering what the Blathers I was talking about. My question finally registered in his mind and he laughed awkwardly before reaching into his apron pocket and materialising a crunched up piece of paper that looked like it'd been chewed up and spat out. Who knows? Maybe he does that to relieve his stress. He unfolded it and stared at it for a few moments before declaring, "Well, as you've been working so diligently, I'll take 1,800 bells off."_

Huh, _I thought, _he's not that bad.

"_So, that makes the total 180,000 bells!"_

_I stared at him for a moment, wondering if it was meant to be funny, before pretending to wipe tears of hilarity out of my eyes, "That was funny. Seriously, what's my loan now?"_

"_Well…it's like I said. 180,000 bells."_

"…"

"_Are you surprised? You'll pay it off easily. It's not too hefty of a mortgage."_

_I twitched as I sweatdropped, almost bewildered. _

'Course, being the rich racoon he is, he'll think that the homeless carry that sort of money! _I angrily pondered. _

_**End of FLASHBACKFLASHBACKFLASHBACKF LASHBACKFLASHBACKFLASHBACK**_

See? I'd rob him but I don't think I'll bother. By the time I'd put my genius plan into action he'd probably have spent all of that money renovating that shack that he calls a 'shop'.

The past few days or so have been moderately laidback. On Tuesday, as promised, I headed down to the river nearby to meet Kiki and a friend of hers there. I'd bought a pretty advanced fishing rod from Nook's place, so I shouldn't be too bad. Even if I've never gone fishing before.

**June 12****th**

Luck had decided to shower upon me. Just as I headed out, the rain had stopped, and the sun had emerged from its slumber behind the dim wall of clouds circling me up ahead. I'd brought an umbrella, a Toad umbrella, just in case, but I obviously didn't need it. Wearing a matching top, I pulled out my map and scrutinized it briefly before planning my route. The river was almost on the border of town. My house was practically on the opposite side of town. Kiki was lucky. She lived near the river, so she didn't need to go that far. Is this her way of trolling me? Oh, well. I'm gonna stop referencing Internet memes and get back to what happened before the author hurts me for breaking the fourth wall again.

I flinched as I plunged my foot into a puddle, the water drenching my feet. I have no idea why I didn't have the common sense to put some socks on, 'cuz all I was wearing were a pair of white pumps. Yeah. Another ditzy moment. Wincingly, I shook my foot about to rid self of the raindrops and tucked my umbrella and rod under my arm, pacing off to meet Kiki.

It took me about fifteen minutes to get there from a jogging pace, but once I arrived I felt myself almost collapse with both exhaustion and relief tugging at my feet. Thick grass blades lined the river bank, and they were brushing against Kiki-san's legs as she furiously entwined her claws with a fishing rod. I had to call her name to get her to notice me. When she did, she looked up at me with an apologetic smile, embarrassment making her blush faintly. I took care as I slowly tiptoed down the hill towards her. Any wrong move and I would fall down, face-first, into the soaking grass. "Hiya. Seems you've got yourself in a mess." I chuckled nervously, being careful not to offend her as her fury rapidly blossomed.

She sighed and looked up at me. "This stupid thing got tangled up when I unhooked a yellow perch. Chief hasn't been helping me 'cuz his precious fish is too important." She complained.

_Chief?_ I thought. I didn't notice anyone other than Kiki-san and myself, until I noticed the ginger figure sat in front of Kiki-san's catch box, intensely concentrating on his 'precious' fish. This Chief was a wolf, with pale ginger fur, who appeared to be wearing a red stripe tee or some sort. Ten or so seconds after his name rose up, he hoisted a pond smelt out of the water, rested it in the box and turned to scrutinize Kiki. Annoyance briefly started across his face, before he smiled gently. "Harrumph. Sorry, Kiki-chan. I did say I'd help you."

"Oh," Kiki smiled sheepishly, handing her rod over to Chief before biting her claws nervously. "Sorry, too. I must have become so irritated with the stupid thing that I didn't hear you."

As he threaded his fingers through the loops of the rod, he looked up me. "Well, er, can you introduce me to your friend here, harrumph?"

Kiki followed the direction of Chief's gaze for a moment or two before realisation suddenly pummelled her and she nodded. "Oh…uh…this is Olivia Moonwest. Olivia-san only moved here over a week or so ago, so I guess she's been too busy to introduce herself to all the townsfolk…"

"Yeah," I butted in, anxiously kneading my palm with my fingers. "I only finished slaving away for Ol' Man Nook two days ago, and I've been so occupied with filling my place up considering a million tumbleweeds were drifting around in there the day I got there."

He continued to untangle Kiki's fishing rod for a moment or so, almost as if he was still absorbing that anecdote of mine, until he nodded slowly, mumbling, "Huh. Sure."

"Eh! Chief! You're always so miserable!" Kiki protested, folding her arms as impatience began to ever drag at her paws.

He completely ignored Kiki's exclamation when he held the rod up in the sun, watching it glimmer with its rays for a moment before handing it back. "Done."

I glanced awkwardly at Kiki, receiving an apologetic glance in return, before she urgently began to whisper him. I rolled my eyes compliantly. _I suppose I don't need to interrupt anything they're going to keep away from me, _I contemplated, hesitantly resting myself into the drenched grass blades.

"Um, I'm not trying to be sarcastic or anything, but…um, you _have _been fishing before, haven't you?" Kiki queried, and when it hit me that she was addressing _me_, I shot up and reacted almost immediately. "Uh…yes."

I could hear her sigh, practically in relief, even if she did try to suppress it. She was probably not terribly keen on the idea of explaining the whole song 'n' dance of fishing.

"Hey!" I chirped, instinctively pointing to the river. A pale black shadow was dancing its way up the river. Yeah, I can use some pretty weird metaphors on occasions. "I'll have a shot at that." I insisted, recklessly releasing my umbrella to pound to the floor before taking out my rod and throwing my bait. The silhouette paddled about for a bit, completely oblivious to the bait waiting for its bite…and…woah…that just sounded really poetic.

Sorry. I'm going off-topic.

All of a sudden, I almost toppled forward as a weight randomly pulled down my bait and I realised it was time to go in for the kill. Literally speaking. I hoisted up my rod, trying to winch my catch out of the water. A hand suddenly slapped itself onto my shoulder and irritation hauled me away from my catch. Okay, I change that to being a _paw_ that slapped itself onto my shoulder.

"Go, Olivia!" Kiki cheered, merriness brimming in her eyes like usual. Her beam drooped to a frown when she noticed my expression and my escaped catch. "Oh. Sorry…I didn't mean to…"

I smirked and hit her back on the shoulder, causing her to even stumble a little. "Come on, Kiki-san. It's. A. Fish. I didn't just lose the election or anything," I chuckled, before winking. "I'll catch him later."

Fishing progressed on for about another half an hour or so, before Chief announced that he had to go back home to make a phone call.

"Oh," Kiki said, a faint hint of disappointment in her voice. "Who are you calli-oh, sorry-sorry-sorry. It's none of my business; sorry if I offended you or anything."

She was stressing in front of him quite often, I had observed. A little idea formed in my head and we both waved Chief goodbye. I watched Kiki every once in a while, and as soon as he was out of earshot, I remarked, "Head over heels."

"What?" Kiki asked, blinking at me as if I'd spoken complete gibberish.

"You don't know what that phrase means?" I smirking, stepping over to her quite menacingly, if I do say so myself.

Kiki bit her lip anxiously, glancing either way before replying, "No. Is that weird?"

I sighed, shaking my head, feeling my ponytail brush against my shoulders. Okay, Kiki-san was developing into an okay sorta friend, but she's still not terrifically bright. I withdrew myself and opened my box to observe what I'd caught. A carp, two bitterling, a koi – which is supposed to be quite rare, I've heard, and three yellow perch. My back was keenly watching her but I could feel her inquisitive little gaze constantly crowding around me like a swarm of butterflies. I picked myself up and announced, "Okay, translation time. You listening?" She nodded eagerly, looking like a nine-year old girl being taught on how to bake cookies. I continued, "I'm saying that you really fancy him."

Kiki continued to stare at me, like I wasn't there, until she shrieked and scratched my forehand swiftly. "No, I don't! I'm just…I mean…well, why do you think I have a crush on him in the first place?"

Her hands, oh, no, _paws, _rather, were now firmly pressed into her hips, and I kinda found her stubbornness a little cute, in a way. Just a little. I wasn't trying to suppress myself from laughing like a high hyena or anything. "_Well,_" I began, purposely raising my voice, almost so my tone became quite patronising. "It's the way you're constantly watching him do _anything _with your little eyes glimmering so brightly, and when you do something bad or wrong in front of him you're just always so apologetic and it's just stress-stress-stress! D'you see where I'm coming from?"

Kiki furrowed her eyebrows. "That's…that's only natural! I didn't want him to think of me as a big loser 'cos I don't wear make-up and I can't walk and talk like a really cool and popular girl and stuff!" she protested. I raised an eyebrow. It kinda bewildered me still that animals could even _wear _make-up, but…I guess people have to roll how they want.

"Is it just because of Chief, then, that you act all stressy?" I queried. She nodded furiously. I cracked another smirk. "But you're always so carefree in front of all the _other_ guys."

Kiki insistently shook her head. "No, I'm not! I'm much worse with the girls too! And…people like Chief. They're quite…like…um, nosy and tend to tattle to other people! So I don't want him thinking I'm a jerk!" She cried.

It was now my turn to shake my head. I guess there's no way of proving myself right, with her constantly stress-stress-stressing and being so stubborn. I picked my catch box up and tucked my umbrella under my arm before picking up my rod. I grinned. "Okay…that was Round 1. But, believe me, Kiki-san, I'm nowhere near willing to give up on this. I will convince you that you love Chief. Just watch me!"

**June 15****th**

And with that previous bombshell, time to progress to Maple's birthday. If I'm going to be quite frank, I've not a clue why I'm even going to this party. I've never even met the girl. I mean, she could end up being this snooty bitch who's staring you up and down whenever you wear something, or a peppy bitch who's constantly screaming cheerleader chants in your ear. Or maybe she's like Kiki-san, a warm-hearted, reserved girl who's also a bit clumsy. Well, I suppose I should've bought her a gift. It's her birthday, what the heck.

A pang of anxiety drumming inside me, I nudged through the door slowly, the bell chiming harmoniously as it brushed against the door frame. I still hadn't really spoken to Mabel and Sable very much. The only time I'd ever walked into the tailor's was to deliver some material for Sable.

With that in mind, the latter was cooped up in the corner with her sewing machine, intently staring down at the fabric she was consistently passing through. It was a hot pink material, adorned by black spots. My attention was then drawn to her younger sister, Mabel. She was standing behind the counter, snipping off a few loose threads on what looked like a 3-ball shirt. She was nimbly cutting away with a glinting pair of scissors, anxiously staring down at her dainty little claws, paranoid of losing a few. When the bell chimed, the two looked up, although unlike Mabel, Sable quickly returned her gaze to her garment.

"Good morning! Welcome to the Able Sisters, where…uh…have you, uh…been here before?" Mabel mumbled, fretfully picking at her claws.

I sweatdropped. Okay, I guess I had no reason to be so apprehensive any more.

"She has." Sable said, lining stitches into her garment as she spoke.

"Oh, yes! You're Olivia-san, the new girl who's currently working for Tom Nook, right?" Mabel beamed, showing no signs of her old apprehension.

I shook my head no. "I'm finished, thank God. I know it's kinda mean, but he doesn't seem to care much for his slave's-no, staff's welfare. I mean, I'd practically fractured my freakin' back by the time I'd finished." I complained, running my hand up my back as I said so. From the corner of my eye, I swore I could've noticed Sable staring at me, although I mentally dismissed it.

Mabel sighed. "Oh, I'm sure he does. Inside, Tom Nook's a very good man." _Are you sure you're talking about Tom Nook? _I inwardly grumbled.

Ignoring her comment, I mindlessly stalked over to the garments on display. Clothes, hats, glasses, scarves and gloves. **(A/N: Yeah, I know they don't actually have gloves and scarves in the games. But THEY DO NOW! MWAHAHA!) **I thought for a while. Okay, so, I've never met Maple, so I don't know what she looks like, what suits her, what her taste is. _Maybe I should buy her some furniture instead…_

Something then caught my attention. It was a scarf, adorned in an endless brown rainbow, from tan to russet to coffee to chocolate, pretty much every shade of brown in the book was on it. I guess it was kinda maple coloured. I unhooked it from around the model and let my fingers brush through the material, sorta admiring how soft it felt, before asking Mabel, "So…uh, how much is this?"

Mabel scampered over to me, abandoning whatever shirt she was dealing with to inspect the scarf. "Ah, yes. That. Well, that lovely piece should come up to 350 Bells. It looks nice, right?"

I nodded, wondering about how she knew the price when there wasn't even a tag. Did she just memorise the prices of each product every night and morning? Shaking the thought off hastily, I agreed and paid for it. Okay, I probably tipped her, but if you're wondering, it wasn't on purpose.

I made my way home, sheltered by my umbrella as the rain returned to bring the sun's demise. Wow…that was quite poetic. Am I a poet or something? Anyway…I soon decided to put Maple's scarf in my pockets. I didn't really want to risk ruining it. And I definitely wasn't paying for anything else. You'd think that fitting a scarf in my pocket would involve it becoming fairly scrunched up in the process and in need of a good ironing, but whenever you try to put an item in your pocket, it seems to turn into a leaf. Yeah, I don't know, either. I just thought I'd heads you up before I have to explain why I'm able to carry a shark around in my pockets. When I actually manage to catch the damn elusive thing, anyway.

Kiki had told me that Maple's party started at 4:30, so I had another hour left. I still had to find some wrapping paper of some form; even I know that you can't really just shove a scarf in someone's face on their birthday. Unless you're Wolfgang or Chief. Or you just really hated the person you're giving the gift too.

And, I'm not a moody grouch, and I don't hate Maple. Like I said, I've never met the girl. She sounds like a bright spark, from what I've heard. Eventually, I found myself in the attic, searching through several boxes of stuff I haven't even bothered to open up yet. There was a load of junk in there. Some of it I didn't realise I even had. See, I wasn't too precise when taking stuff with me when I moved. I lived with my sister, Natasha, and her belongings were usually clogging up our house, like mine did. Chances were, I'd probably taken something of hers by accident.

And…I was right. I found an old pair of neon pink headphones that definitely weren't mine. I entwined my finger in the cord for a bit, watching it twist around my skin, before drawing myself back to my wrapping paper investigation. Other than the headphones, I'd found nothing much, just clothes and furniture and…oh, yeah! That.

I'd found a diary of some sort. Now, Journal, I did not ever in my life, swear on my parents' grave, _ever_ write a diary. Ever. But I knew it wasn't mine the instant I read the handwriting. It was fairly scruffy, and faded on almost every page. The edges were creased and quite charred, which I don't really understand. Russet stains adorned each page, and I squinted in the dark to get a closer look at the old thing.

_X_

_15 … …estaea_

…_e…p?_

_I d… er…...n…, h…t…h…beco…my…ghter? Eve…si…k…talki…t…t…t…a…girl, …mind i…bec…mor…a…re…ai…nted…the s…c…'s er… ev…_

That was all I could read, and I unfortunately can't offer you a translation. Because whoever wrote that was very severely drunk and needs help.

I tried to wash that creepy book out of my mind, but it kept constantly coming back to taint it. After I'd founded some blue and white striped paper, I find myself drifting further and further away from it, but it just kept nagging me in the back of my head. Damn, damn, damn…the stupid thing was costing me time! I had half an hour left by then.

After I'd wrapped Maple's present, I quickly slid into a dazed shirt and slipped a star cap on my head before stepping out into blisteringly hot sunshine practically impaling me. I groaned; why does the weather have to have the most random mood swings ever? I shrugged inwardly. I just needed to forget weird findings and mood swings and bask in the sunshine of Maple's day.

Her house wasn't too far away from Kiki's, so I had to trek across the town quite a bit. Once I'd arrived at her door, I found myself shying away. God, I might fill my life with sarcasm and pessimism almost 24/7, but I'm still quite shy. Apprehensively, I drummed my fist against the wood, hoping I wasn't too quiet. Those thoughts were shouldered aside when a bear cub opened the door.

She was a russet colour, and wore a citrus gingham top. She had big, bold, black eyes that I found a little cute. "Hello! Are you here for my birthday?"

"No." I said.

"Oh!" she blushed, stepping back nervously. "Sorry, sorry, sorry. It's just lots of people have been turning up to see me and it's still quite a blur and-"

"Relax!" I insisted, cracking a faint smile. "It was just a joke, Maple. I felt like seeing your reaction."

The poor thing stared through me for a moment, before sighing and pushing a tuft of hair out of her eyes. "You got me. Uh, so, come in, I've still got plenty of cake and-"

She probably regretted saying that about five seconds later, because it was MYSTERIOUSLY gone. It's probably what happens when you invite Cube, Punchy and Drake over.

"Oh…sorry! I didn't realise…" she sighed again.

I patted Maple on the shoulder. "It's okay. I'm not very hungry, or a big eater. Oh, yeah. I need to give you…"

She turned to me in confusion. If she had so many guests, surely she would've been expecting something? Still, I kinda like the fact that she's not expecting much. I pulled a present out of my pockets and handed it to Maple. She sighed but flashed me a grateful look. "Thank you."

"Uh, is something wrong?" I queried, annoyance kinda dragging me down as I noticed her apprehensive look.

"Oh, of course not! It's just…well…this has been quite exhausting. Is it okay if I can open it later?" she asked me, brushing her paws over the crimson ribbon. I agreed and she left her gift on the table. When she returned, she seemed a little brighter. "So, um, you never told me your name."

I ignored the buzzing of the voices and music around me as I replied, "Olivia Moonwest, reporting for duty."

Maple giggled. "Well, it's nice to meet you. I didn't know many people before today, so it's gonna be quite hard to take in all of the appearances and names."

I raised an eyebrow. Maple was shaping up to be quite a character, and…well, no offence to her, but some things seem to whiz through one little bear cub ear and out the other.

I started thinking about that diary again. Ugh! The fact that I was supposed to be celebrating and my mind was completely away with another matter was getting on my nerves. How did that thing even turn up in my stuff anyway? Natasha definitely didn't do that kind of thing; she was always occupied with other things. My parents seemed to be far too busy to have time to write a little diary entry. And, like I said before, I don't do diaries.

"Olivia? Olivia? Are you okay? What's up?"

I'd been spacing out for what felt like a week before someone started to poke me. Oh, just Maple, again. She'd been talking to me ever since I'd arrived, and I'd been there for at least two hours. Now, she was turning her head, angling her bold gaze towards me as I refocused into reality. "Oh…sorry. I was just…y'know."

She nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. I do that sometimes."

Silence suddenly set between the pair of us, and it seemed like the whole room had the eerie silence, even if music was blaring from every speaker in existence. The next question came from me this time, and, to be quite honest, it sorta jumped out of my mouth.

"Do you know if Blathers can identify things other than fossils?"

**Yay! Well, that was good. I'm now exhausted, and I'm going to bed. If there's any spelling or grammar errors near the end, blame exhaustion. Good night, England!**


End file.
